The Indianapolis 500 was run for the 102nd
time on May 27, when Mark Glover attended his 56th 500.
"You
just don't know what Indy means."
Al Unser Jr.
famously uttered those words in Victory Lane when he notched the first of his
two Indianapolis 500 victories in 1992.
The full
meaning of those words was displayed Sunday by 2018 race winner Will Power -- normally a somewhat reserved fellow -- when he exploded with emotion during his
over-the-top post-race celebration. The
genuine, raw outpouring of joy was something to behold.
And very
satisfying. And well deserved. What a masterful drive Power put together
over 500 miles on a sizzling hot, humid Indiana day.
Power, driving
for the now-legendary Roger Penske, was not wheeling the best car during most of
the first half of the race. His
Chevrolet-powered machine didn't have the juice to catch pole-sitter Ed
Carpenter, the Indianapolis hometown driver who was getting serious positive
vibes from the massive crowd.
Carpenter had
it dialed in early, and only 2013 winner Tony Kanaan seemed able to keep up
with him. Even so, when Kanaan passed
Carpenter on an early restart, Carpenter simply swept him aside when he got up
to full song moments later.
It was looking
very much like Carpenter's day.
By the midway
point, however, Power seized the advantage.
Kanaan was dealt a severe blow with a punctured tire just prior to the
250-mile mark, and over the last half of the race, Power was the one everyone
was chasing. And in the late-going, it was
obvious that Carpenter was not going to catch the Australian driver. Carpenter settled for second.
It was a
tribute to the Penske team, which not only performed a series of incredibly
fast pit stops but tweaked Power's car to the max, making it the swiftest in
the field. The Penske strategy team also
had this 102nd running of the race well figured out before the checkered flag
fell.
But in the
end, it was Power, smooth and steady when he needed to be, and most important,
patient in a race that requires incredible patience.
When it was
go-time, Power stuffed his ride into harm's way and skillfully pushed aside
cars that were determined to deny him the prize he long sought. Under green flag conditions, however, Power's
rivals didn't stand a chance.
He overpowered
them. There, I said it.
Our reward was
watching the 37-year-old driver wildly celebrate his victory. For Power, first-place winnings of more than
$2.5 million helped extend his feels-so-good celebration during the awards ceremonies
on Monday night.
Good show,
Will. And for Indy, another good,
memorable race in the history books.
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